A cross-reference of related applications are provided at the end of the Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments section of the present application.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communication between users in diverse communication systems, and more particularly, to providing scaleable PBX (Private Branch exchange) for a broadband communication system including an Internet Protocol Telephony Network and public switched telephone network.
2. Background of the Invention
Present day telephony voice networks, have a network built around circuit switches, end offices, a toll network, tandem switches, and twisted wires. These voice networks are referred to as a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or plain old telephone service (POTS). Due to bandwidth limitations of plain old telephone service (POTS), there is an inherent inability to efficiently integrate multiple types of media such as telephony, data communication for personal computers (PC), and television (TV) broadcasts. Accordingly, a new broadband architecture is required. This new architecture gives rise to a new array of user devices and services.
Aspects of the invention include to providing broadband access capabilities or enhanced services for use in conjunction with a packetized network such as an Internet Protocol (IP) based system infrastructure.
Other aspects of the invention include providing one or more of the following either individually, or in any combination or sub-combination:
a new broadband architecture;
broadband network capabilities, including local access;
enhanced services for use in conjunction with a packetized network such as an Internet Protocol (IP) based system infrastructure. The new broadband architecture may include a scaleable PBX (Private Branch eXchange) using a versatile broadband gateway card (BGC).
The present invention provides for a scaleable PBX for use in a powerful, facilities-based, broadband communications system that guarantees voice, data and video communication reliability and security to users for an multimedia system including integrated telephone, television and data network. The scaleable PBX includes one or more broadband gateways. Each broadband gateway may be provided on a slot card (i.e., broadband gateway card) compatible with servers and personal computers (PC). One or more slot cards may be included in a server to provide PBX feature/function capability to a broadband communication system. The server based broadband gateway PBX is scaleable for any size company or facility using, for example, one or more network servers. Alternatively, the broadband gateway card may be installed in a PC and provide a low cost small business or home PBX system.